I feel a little funny today because Iâ€™m in Los Angeles and not Park City. This is the first January since 2001 that I will not ascend the peaks of the Wasatch Mountains to attend the Sundance Film Festival. Last year on this eve before the festival began I was having dinner with my friend Harriette and discussing the herbal remedies and organic snacks we had brought to defend our bodies from the 10 day boot camp we were about the embark on. Now Iâ€™m at my home computer drinking tea and checking the weather in Park City to see what Iâ€™m missing.

The Sundance 08 program boasts many docs by people we know like Morgan Spurlock, Alex Gibney and Nanette Burstein and some newcomers too. I havenâ€™t investigated what has distribution or not, Iâ€™ll wait for indieWIREâ€™s report on that and save myself a couple of hours of research. I caught a press screening this week of Trouble the Water, but Iâ€™ll respect the press holdback and wait to talk about it during the festival.

The Sundance Institute is making some announcements like their new DocSource program.

Starting January 18th and running all 10 days of the Festival you can view one short
film each day of the Festival for free for 24 hours at www.sundance.org/watch.

Itâ€™s quiet here and while Iâ€™ll miss seeing friends and movies and maybe catching the premiere of something important I wonâ€™t miss the hub bub of Main Street that I have often complained about in the past, the snowy cold weather and regular meal times. Sundance Channel will be airing their Festival Updates and looks like you can watch it online too. Of course the myriad of bloggers and press and everyone else will be talking about whatâ€™s new and hot in the world of independent (dare I say) cinema. And me, Iâ€™ll be in Independent Spirit Awards screenings just 5 minutes from my house catching up on 2007s movies.

Admittedly, I still saved all my party invitations in a folder labeled “Sundance 08” in my email box just in case I decide to hop a Delta flight to Salt Lake City.

Come to a FREE screening of Can Mr. Smith Get to Washington Anymore? at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences Linwood Dunn Theatre. All info here!

Wednesday, November 7th
7:00 pm

Director Frank Popper will be in attendance.

Screens with An Unreasonable Man.

FREE parking in the back.

The 26th annual Contemporary Documentaries series is a showcase for feature-length and short documentaries drawn from the 2006 Academy AwardÂ® nominations, including the winners, as well as other important and innovative films considered by the Academy that year.

All films in the series, except for the November 28 titles, screen at the Linwood Dunn Theater at the Academyâ€™s Pickford Center for Motion Picture Study on Wednesdays at 7 p.m. The filmmakers will be present at screenings whenever possible. Admission for all screenings is free. Tickets are not required for entry

The Academy of Arts and Sciences is gearing up for the third installment of their Oscar’s Docs series. Starting September 17 and Monday nights through November 19 the Academy will screen the Academy Award winning documentaries of 1977-1988. Many if not all evenings will include question and answer with special guests.